I recently discovered the joys of juice pairing at a very special dinner at Noma in Copenhagen this summer. Instead of drinking loads of wine and forgetting the details of my 20-course meal, I decided on the rare opportunity to pair the meal with juice. I did this for clarity sake and out of curiosity and the incessant need for inspiration. It was an interesting choice. By the middle of the meal, I have to admit, I craved wine with my food. The juices which were both raw and fermented seemed better as a meal itself or just a stand alone drink. The colors were spectacular and flavors clean. But I didn't really want juice with my meal. I soon found myself asking one of servers if I could have a glass of wine! That of course was not problem at all.
So this week, partly out of inspiration from Noma, we give you juice. Not as pair but as a stand alone drink. We harvested and juiced beets, fennel, carrots and celery for you sip at leisure. The delicious mix makes a super clean drink that is really good for the body and great for digestion.
A little about the ingredients:
The intense red color in beets known as betalain has its function; it works as an antioxidant and a powerful anti-inflammatory for detoxing the body. Beet juice is also proven to help blood flow & reduce blood pressure. Its high in fiber, zinc and iron too. The carrot (and its color) has its own antioxidant properties in the beta carotene which helps put a healthy glow on your skin and hair. Carrots are also alkaline, balancing the acid/alkaline ratio. They also are high in vitamin A and C. The cool green celery is excellent for the digestive system, a natural form of salt and another type of anti-inflammatory. Finally, fennel which is has its beneficial soluble fibers and high amounts of vitamin C, folate and potassium. It helps with PMS as well as colic and gas. Studies on fennel, as far as heath benefits, show it's excellent for the skin and has "anti-aging " properties. In any detox, the key is eliminating inflammation and this drink is the perfect mix for that. It also taste good. I hope you think so too. If anyone is interested in doing a week long detox with juices and whole foods delivered to you let us know.
The box this week has our first sweet pumpkins and our amazing feijoas ( pineapple guavas) as well as kale, onions, potatoes, red chard, and a small bouquet of herbs: mint, rosemary, purple basil and dill with its flower.
Use the dill on a piece of fish, the mint in a tea, the rosemary with eggs and onions and purple basil on a pasta as a finishing touch.
one more thing: a pumpkin recipe